Machine for shelling and grading peanuts.



A. L.'& 0. H. STEERE.

MACHINE POR SHELLING AND GRADING PEYANUTS. Y APPLIGATIONI'ILED DEG. 29, 1911. 1,083,150.

Patented Dec. 3o', 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.`

atto/mu,

UNITED -sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ALBERT- L. STEERE AND CHARLES H. STEERE, 0F PETERSBURG; VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Applicationlevl December 29; 1911-. Serial No. 688,489.

To all whomc't may concern.' e

Be it know-n that we, ALBERT L. STEERE and CHARLES H. Sirene, citizens of the United States, residing at'PetersbuIg'in the county of Dinwiddie and State of irginia, have invented-new and useful Improvements in Machines for Shelling and Grading Peanuts, of which the: following is a specification.

This invention' relates toA improvements'in machines forv shelling and grading peanuts' and it proposes almach'i'ne in' which the peanuts, after their passagelthrough the Sheller, will be graded in a continuous and reliable manner, according-to both size and condition; in which the grading operations are effected by anovel and' ei'eient combination of mechanical and pneumatic agencies; in which efiicient provisionl is made for'the delivery of shelled peanuts free from dust, hulls, or extraneous matter; and in which ef'- licient provision is made for the complete recovery of all peanuts which pass through the Sheller.

The above and other features of improvement will be readily apparent from a consideration of the drawings forming a1 partof this'specification' and in the light-of 'the d'escription to follow. l

In. the said drawings: Figure l is a per spective view of a peanut shellingand grading machine in which the features of the present invention are incorporated. Fig.v 2 is a. view thereof, partly in side elevation andpartly in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a detail vieuT of ai spout supporting devicel to bey hereiudescribed.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The working parts are supported from an upright frame designated generally by the* numeral 1, and whichine'eds no detailed description, it beingsuiicient to say that this frame is suitably braced and' that it includes cornerposts and longitudinal'an'd transverse bars connecting the same and having their locations. and dimensions selected with regard to the parts for which they' furnish support.

The Sheller comprises a ribbed cylinder 3 which is suitably mounted on the Ashaft 2, and Works concentrically with relation' to acon'- cave cradle 4. The cradle (t is arranged beL lowV the cylinder 3 and comprises a number of suitably spaced parallel bars which have a semi-circular cross sectional disposition and through' which the peanuts and the shellsl stripped therefrom pass. The peanuts andthe shells thus delivered from the cradle fall into a discharge spout 5, which terminate's 1n a depending extension 6, through which the peanuts pass y to the l grading IWhile'the chaff will pass through a conduit 7 which is set into the spout 5 and terminat'es adjacent the' extension 6. It may PatentedDec. 30, 1913.-

noted that the' latter is oset with relation to the body of the spoutin' such'manner that the products delivered by the cradle,- pass under the condu'it', the peanuts falling perpendicularly through the extension 6 and the chaff passing perpendicularly into the conduit 7-. Th'isdisposition of parts has been' selected because it is best calculated to provide for an efficient initial separation ofthe peanuts and chaff.

The spout structure, which, in; this instance, comprehends the spout 5, the extension 6, and the conduit 7, may, when necessary, be removed as a unit from the machine and when the spout structure has been' removed, the cradle 4 may be removed with equal facility for the purpose of cleaning, substitution, or repairs. The forward end of theconduitr( is tted as at 8in the adj oining end of" an air'shaft' 9 ofiwhich the conduit forms,in effect, a continuation oreXtension. The spout structure'is supported by brackets l'Osecuredto'side bars' of the framev adjacent' the connection 8 and by hooks 10, carried by some fixed part of the frame or of the'machine' and engaging through openings in thel outer and adjacent side of the spout 5. Thebrackets 10n are held in place by bolts which pass through slots in said brackets, and' by loosening theboltsthe brackets may be'slipped outwardly' so as to disengage the conduit 7. and enable the latter to be moved downwardly so' as tobreak its connection 8 with the shaft 9. When saidv conduit has thus been disengaged from said shaft, the

hooks 10 may be disengaged from the spoutv 5, and the Whole spout structure may then be removed as'a unit from the machine.

The sides of thespout 5y are cut away concavely at their upper ends` and the bars which form the cradle 4 project beyond the sides of the spout, through the cut away portions thereof and are connected to vertical side plates 11. Having in view the 5 ready removal and assemblage of the cradle, the support for the latter comprisesv a pair of longitudinally disposed levers 12, thelinner ends of which are pivoted as at 13 to side b'ars of the framell. The plates 11 have their under edge faces grooved or recessed as at 14 to slidingly fit over the levers 12. These levers are normally sustained with their major portions in a horizontal position by hangers 15, the upper ends of which are 15 suitably connected to or anchored in the frame of the machine, and the lower ends of which have detachable hook-like engagement with said levers. The hangers 15 are made in upper and lower sections which are connected by a turn buckle and the sections of each hanger may be completely dissociated by a manipulation' of the turn buckle connection. Assuming that it is desired to remove the cradle 4 for any particular purpose, the spout structure is first removed in the manner explained, and thereupon the sections of the hangers 15 are dissociated, whereby the levers 12 may be lowered on their -pivots 13 as far as may be 'necessaryv for the purpose in view. At such time the cradle 4 will move rearwardly by gravity,

its side plates 11 sliding along the levers 12,-

as will be readily apparent; When the cradle has moved along said levers to a suiicient extent, it may be lifted bodily therefrom and replaced after being cleaned or` repaired, or 'a new cradle may be substituted. In assembling the cradle, its side plates 1l are placed on the levers 12 in the 40 manner explained, and the cradle is pushed into a position under the cylinder 3, at which time the levers 12 areraised into a horizon-- tal position and are secured by connecting the sections of the hangers 15 through the agency of the turn buckles. Thereafter, the spout structure is replaced by 'engaging the hooks 10 with the outer sideof the s out 5, and by establishing the relation of t econduit and the air shaft 9 through the agency of the connection 8. A

-The peanuts which fall from the extension 6 are mechanically graded as to size, preferably through the agency of a series of continuous riddles dis osed in a common I plane. Four of these riddles are shown, be'

ing designated in the order of their arrange.- ment by the numerals 16, 17, 18, and 19 respectively. ',Ihe riddle 16 is arranged at therear end of the machine immediately under 6o the extension 6, and is of relatively fine mesh, being 'provided to eifect the separation of the nuts of smallest size and of split nuts and fragments of nuts, these products being known to the trade as No. 3 s and havingI A a, relatively small value. The yriddle 17 which is adjacent the riddle 16 is of somewhat coarser mesh and is provided to effect the 'separation'of a grade of nuts known to the trade as No.'2"s and Awhich are intermediate in size and value between the No. 3' ,m nuts which pass through the riddle 16, and the nuts known as No. .1s which pass through the riddle 18'. The No. 1 nuts are those of standard and merchantable size, and of which by far the vlargest yield is obtained. In additionto the three grades of nuts referred to, there is still another grade known as the Jumbos the number of whichis conparatlively small. These are nuts of extraordinary size and their separa- 8O tion is provided for by the riddle 19, which is located at the forward end of the. machine. The machine provides not only for the sepa-` rat-ion of the shelled nuts into the several grades referred to, but for thek separation of the shelled nuts from `an unshelled nuts which may have escaped t e action of the shelling'` mechanism and for the grading of the unshelled nuts according to their size.

The unshelled nuts are -known as nubs vand they are graded according to size into No. 1 nubs and No. 2 nubs The man- -ner of separating and grading the nubs will -the Jumbo nuts, pass over the forward end ofthe Jumbo riddle 19 and into a laterally disposed and inclined discharge chute 20. i

100 The riddles 16, 17, and 19 are arranged.

`.above laterally disposed and inclined discharge chutes 21, 22, and 24, respectively, which may discharge at one or both sides of Ythe machine, as preference may dictate.

The riddle 18 is arranged labove a' discharge chute 23, which extends longitudinally of the machine and isforwardly and downwardly inclined. It may be'noted that the chute 23 extends under the chute 24 and that the u@ forward extremity of the chute 23 extends under'the chute 20, and well over the mouth of a spout 25, to which a later reference will be made.

The riddles 16, 17, ,18, and 19, their re-f spective discharge chutes 21,22, 23, and 24, and the discharge chute 20, for the No. l nubs are carried by a vibratory frame 26,

the support for which preferably consists of spring steel hangers 27 o such relative 12o length that the' riddles, as series, have aforward and downward inclination of suffcient degree to induce the movement of the nuts in a forward direction and at a del sired rate of speed. In order that the incliv Athe upper ends of the hangers 2 7 are connectedto plates 28, which are secured in any suitable manner for longitudinally slidis) -at the forward end of The lfangiwdinal' vibration of the riddles 'as a serres is effected by eccentric strap andA pitman-'eonnectiens .from a transverse shaft `29, arranged 'at the rear end of the frame.

As stated previously, the separation of the nuts-'and the chal' is effected in the spout 5, the chaff passing into the conduit 7. The air shaft 9, to which said conduit is e011'- nected, leads to a fan 30 which is arranged e machine and is operable to produce a' suction current in the shaft 9', the intensity of which may' be regulated by a suitable damper 31. The-chaff .passing through the shaft' 9 is drawn into the casing 32 of the fan 30 and is discharged from the latter through one ormore outlet Y tubes 33, with which said casing is provided.

The conduit 7, which is of considerably less diameter than theshaft 9, is upwardly and perpendicularlyoifset adjacent the connec' tion 8, and the portion of said conduit so offset is provided at its lower end with an opening 34, through which any entrained peanuts that may have been carried over with the chaff may escape and fall upon the' riddles. l

The spout 25, into which the No. 1 peanuts Vrun from the chute 23, passes the eanuts into a vert-icalconduit 35 through t e open lower end of. which the peanuts are finally discharged into any rece taele of suitable character, provided for t e purpose. The No. 2 nubs are unshelled peanuts of a size equal to the size of the No. 1 shelled peanuts, but, 'of course, of considerably less weight.

' These No 2 nubs of which there will be relatively few, together with the No. 1 peanuts, pass through the riddle 18, along the chute 23, through the spout 25, and into the conduit 35, from the lower end of which the No. 1 peanuts discharge by gravity. The conduit 35 communicates at lts upper end with anair shaft 36, of considerably greater diameter and which, inaturn, communicates with the fan casing 32, and is provided with a damper to regulate the intensity of the air current. The shaft 36 has an opening,

Y suitably located above its dischar end and iure-lation to the-conduit 35. This opening, controlled by a draft regulatin slide 37, not

only supplies air to said shaft, ut serves the` carries near its lower end two counterwhich the nubs; fall and which yield on their pivots when theace'umulated Weight of the nubsis suliicient to overcome the counteriweights. The arrangement of the conduit 135 and the shaft- 36, in relaftiouto the fan 30, not only' provides for 4the separa-tion of the standard or most valuable grade of pea nuts any nubsthat may have been carried ever therewith, but provides-also for the deliyery of the peanuts in a clean con-l ditien, since any 'chaff or extraneous matter which may have accumulated vduring the passageef the peanuts along the -riddles will be'drawn upwardlyfthrough -.the,`1eonduit 35, and through the shaft 36, into the fan casing 32, fromwhence it will be discharged 'through the outlet tubes 33.

. To vsummarize the operation of themachine: Peanuts are fed to the sheller in aA relatively large quantity along an inclined shelf 39 which terminates vadjacent the cra'- die 4, the peanuts passing between said cra-v dle and the cylinder 3' and being freed from their shells by these instrumentalities. The shelled peanuts andthechaff then pass intov the spout 5, wherein a separation is effected, the peanuts dropping upon the riddle 16 and the chaif passing through theconduit 7, air

shaft 9, fan casmg 32, and discharge tubes.I

33, any peanuts carried over withk the cha through the conduit 7 being passed to the riddles through the opening 34. The shelled peanuts: are mechanicall separated by the riddles into the four. gra es referred to, the No. 1 nubs being discharged through the chute 2() and the No. 2 nubs passing with the No. 1 peanuts into the conduit 35, in which the nubs and peanutsare separated and the peanuts freed from any accumulated matter, the peanuts discharging through the lower end of said conduit, the nubs being drawn into the shaft 36, in which they collect and from which they are ultimately'discharged by the automatlcally acting `valves 38, and dust or other foreign matter being drawn into the fan casing 32 and discharged through the outlet tubes 33.

Any vdesired arrangement of driving means may beemployed. 'As shown the shaft 29 is driven from the shaft 2f by a belt 40, trained over a pulley (not shown) at one end of said shaft 2, and the shaft 'of the fan 30 is driven by a belt 41, trained over a pulley 42 upon thex other end of the shaft 2. Having fully described our inventlongiwe claim:

1. In a machine of the type set forth, the combination with a peanut grading screen of a vertical conduit which receives shelled peanuts and nubs from said screen and connected to the upper end of the latter, the

air shaft having an opening, suitably 1o-- cated above its discharge end and in relation to said conduit, and through which air may pass into said shaft, and a fan to produce a suction current through the air` shaft and the conduit and to thereby cause the separation of the shelled peanuts and nubs in the conduit.

2. In a machine of the type set forth, in combination, peanut shellin means, a spout structure supported in relation to the shelling means and into which the peanuts and chaff pass from said means, said spout structure comprising a spout having a peanut delivery extension and a conduit connected to the spout and through which the cha is carried, an air shaft, a detachable connection between the air shaft and the conduit and means detachably engaged with the router side of the spout and furnishing support for the spout structure.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto setour hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT L. STEER. CHARLES H. STEERE.

Witnesses: Y

H UN'mR A.v YOUNG, ROBERT L. REGESTER. 

